


Reclamation

by Merfilly



Series: To Build A Future [18]
Category: Transformers (Bay Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Future Fic, Gen, Power Play
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-03
Updated: 2012-01-03
Packaged: 2017-10-28 19:36:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/311450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Merfilly/pseuds/Merfilly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Starscream's back. Now the other Seekers have to know it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Reclamation

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you, readers, for seeing this series through to this point.

There was little that Starscream did not dare dream of, as he polished away the paint transfers from his... greeting with Megatron. He had conquered destruction itself, surviving the loss of his physical form for a half vorn. His ambitions would know fruition this time, his sights set on a revitalized Cybertron capable of being the base for an eager war machine the galaxy would tremble before.

That much of Megatron's slower, long-range planning, he could agree with. Let the Autobots grow complacent with peace, and begin to chafe for the very war that had shaped all of them. It would come again, rightly turned outward, until Cybertron had mastered those races and resources that rightly belonged to them!

First thing, now that Megatron had ceased to mar his finish, was to tackle taking back his rightful place. At least, for once, his trine mates had been useful, holding the power in their hands while he was distracted. He inspected his frame intently, seeing the high shine and vibrant colors in it with pride, before he strode through the too empty hallways to the formal flight ground.

::SEEKERS, REPORT!::

That full-bodied send, flavored by his intonations, branded by his personal signature, burned across the common band of all the fixed wing fighters within his Class. It was high time they stopped doing grunt work for Hook's minions, and started performing their primary task of finding the resources needed.

Scion, still recovering from the crippling method of how they had managed both tasks, scowled in his sealed quarters, and promptly tuned Starscream out. Along the rest of the band, however, other voices sprang up questioning, doubting, curious... until one voice silenced them all.

::WHO DARES?!::

The fury in Thundercracker's send was strong enough to make Starscream take a step back for balance, the frequency pushing his equilibrium off in its resonance.

::Come see for yourself, my doubting wingmate!:: Starscream snapped back over the frequencies. He could already feel the vibrations in the air as Seekers from all over the city abandoned their tasks to come and find out the truth for themselves. Making the showdown with Thundercracker so public would serve him well.

`~`~`~`~`

Longarm, watching the needed fast transports vanish from work sites, lodged a complaint with Hook. He filed it away as one more reason the fliers were out-dated as a class. In his vision of Cybertron, their class would be relegated to ferry duty and little else. Hook, in turn, complained to Soundwave, who was also suffering from the antics with a crushing processor ache of so much chatter on frequencies that were, at best, chaos incarnate to his monitoring.

The complaints, rather than stopping with Soundwave, were passed further up. Normally, it would be Blaster's fate to detail the reports to their leader, if Megatron was in residence. However, that illogical creation had absconded in the Autobot space ship.

Soundwave sent Ravage with the report, known causes, and a request from the work force commanders that the Seekers be ordered back to their work.

Megatron, instead, took the report with a laugh that rang through the halls, and invited Ravage to join him on the palace parapet that allowed a good view of the growing Seeker congregation, trines and duos falling into their customary flights all around the field, while Starscream, resplendently shining even at this distance, stood in the center of the field, awaiting Thundercracker.

"Finally. Something entertaining," Megatron rumbled, hand coming to rest on the hunter's head as they watched.

Ravage purred agreement.

`~`~`~`~`

Astrotrain was not, technically, a Seeker. He, and others of his abilities, were more closely related to the larger transport class that had long since vanished into the depths of space rather than cope with the war. He did not, however, like not knowing what was going on with the only fliers he considered decent company. Rotors… He shuddered… just tended to be plain strange, and none really knew if Octane or Blitzwing had actually made it through the war with the bounty on their helms that had sent them into deep hiding.

He landed off to one side, perched atop a convenient roof, and zoomed his optics in for the spectacle taking place on the field. He could not help the frown on his face as he recognized those paint markings. So the voice was part of a larger trick, it seemed, as this impostor settled to the task of proving himself. Astrotrain had to admit that he was going to enjoy watching Thundercracker win a fight for once.

`~`~`~`~`

Thundercracker came in with his speed bleeding fast into the sonic waves that had earned him his name, bombarding the mech on the field. He followed in behind the waves, crashing into the mech who had withstood the barrage. The watching Seekers kept their optics on the battle, entranced by what was purely their own brand of savagery.

No blades, no whips, no lasers came into play. This was the brute force of one highly volatile flier against one who was cunning and swift, passion running high. Fields sparked off one another, talons sliced into lines and pulled, spattering fluids all over both, and armor plates were mangled into hanging shreds of metal. Still, neither fighter seemed to be getting the upper hand in the fight.

There wasn't a mech looking on who did not doubt the impasse would soon be broken; Thundercracker had resisted a number of assassination attempts and outright challenges for dominance. Sometimes, it came down to the key factor of his wingmate. Surely the wingmate would pop in and end this any moment now, the unpredictable teleportation always a factor that worked in Thundercracker's favor.

What happened next left chaos and confusion in its wake, because it should have been impossible. The sound of mass suddenly occupying space that it had not moments before had not even fully materialized in audials before it was joined by the eerie noise of Starscream's signature blaster weaponry, his arm jerked back at an awkward angle that had _accurately targeted where Skywarp appeared!_ The teleporter fell back in a stagger, sparks and static dancing through his systems as the low-powered blast went through his unshielded frame. Very few knew it took his defenses offline as he popped from point to point. Fewer still could make the calculations and aim in the microseconds that his defenses were down. No one, save his trine, should ever have been able to tell precisely where he would emerge from a teleport!

The rip of sensor and system damage to his mate tore through Thundercracker's awareness in ways that his own never could, and his processor locked around what had just happened in shock. It took all his ability to push the aggressive mech away from him, but he did, getting enough space to really look at the mech who had stirred up his emotional minefield.

`~`~`~`~`

"Well-played, my traitor," Megatron rumbled, analyzing that strike. In one move, Starscream had proven his domination of the Air Commander, and proven his identity. It felt good to know his second had returned with all his craft and cunning in place.

It would make the future all that more rewarding to pit himself against such skill.

`~`~`~`~`

"Starscream," Thundercracker wheezed out, struts stiffening, wings flared high and proud, even as he knew he was defeated.

"Oh yes," the named mech purred, full of pride in himself. His optics moved from Thundercracker to the assembled Seekers. "There's been a change in the command of our class," Starscream purred. "Hasn't there, Thundercracker?"

"Yes… Air Commander."

A few Seekers twitched nervously, but not a one of them wanted to test themselves against this newcomer with too many vorns of experience. Not today. Not without knowing what tricks lurked in that shiny new frame, and not without letting Starscream prove his flaws were all still in place.

"Beginning now, Seekers, you are all off duty for one full cycle. Meet again at this field tomorrow, to learn your new tasks." Starscream was being magnanimous, now that he had just what he wanted. And neither Hook nor Soundwave were going to continue to utilize his Seekers in manners unfitting to Starscream's plans. He turned his back to leave, and as was only proper, Thundercracker fell in on on side, with Skywarp jerkily managing to do the same on his other.

They had repairs to tend, and old bonds to reforge before the new cycle began.


End file.
